Games today:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
12 p.m. — NU vs UST (women’s finals)
6 p.m. — UP vs La Salle (men’s finals)
Top dog University of the Philippines seeks redemption from losing the crown last year while De La Salle University wants to reignite its winning culture that has waned over the past years.
Expect nothing but an all-out battle when both teams go after each other’s throats to draw closer to accomplishing their goal in Game 1 of the best-of-three University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball tournament finals today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The historic first title showdown between the Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers is set at 6 p.m. with fans from both proud schools projected to pack the venue and turn it into a sea of green and maroon.
Meanwhile, eight-peat-seeking National University battles University of Santo Tomas in Game 1 of the women’s best-of-three finals slated at 12 p.m.
No team has a clear advantage over the other as both UP and La Salle parade star-studded lineups under brilliant coaches. In fact, the two squads have split their first two meetings in the elimination.
The Fighting Maroons do have more championship experience being in the finals for the third straight season but the Green Archers, on the other hand, hold a scorching nine-game winning streak heading to their title round comeback after six years.
It will all boil down to who wants it more.
UP has been the tournament’s barometer in its redemption season, playing consistent disciplined basketball for a 12-2 win-loss record after the elims. The Fighting Maroons then got rid of a familiar finals rival in dethroned Ateneo de Manila University, 57-46, in the Final Four to exact revenge over the same team that dragged them off the throne last year.
Against the Green Archers, whose players are newbies on the biggest stage of college basketball, UP will be relying on experience to stop them in their tracks.
“For us, it’s all about taking advantage of what we built all throughout the year and finishing it up hopefully the way we wanted to, the way we envision it,” Fighting Maroons assistant coach Christian Luanzon said.
All eyes will be on reigning Most Valuable Player Malick Diouf as he tries to lead UP back on top with grizzled veterans CJ Cansino, JD Cagulangan, Harold Alarcon and Gerry Abadiano backing him up along with presumed Rookie of the Year winner Francis Lopez.
UP beat La Salle, 67-64, in the first round.
It was the Fighting Maroons who last dealt the Green Archers a loss before they went on a nine-game tear highlighted by an emphatic 97-73 crushing of National University in the semis last Saturday.
But La Salle mentor Topex Robinson reminds his boys that their scintillating run won’t matter anymore in the championship. Everything is all about winning two more.
“Those nine games brought us to the Finals, but it’s not what we could hold onto right now,” Robinson said.
“We’re gonna make sure that those lessons we’ve learned in winning those nine straight games will give us at least the preparation and the courage to play against UP in the Finals,” Robinson added as he gets a golden chance of joining legendary mentor Franz Pumaren, Juno Sauler and Aldin Ayo in the elite club of La Salle coaches who won the title in their debut seasons.
The Green Archers got back at the Fighting Maroons in the second round, 88-79.
MVP frontrunner Kevin Quiambao, who posted a league-record of two triple-doubles in the elims, will be the focal point of the Green Archers charge.
Backstopping last year’s RoY winner are top guards Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy along with Mike Phillips, Jonnel Policarpio and Francis Escandor.
Game 2 is on Sunday at Araneta Coliseum while Game 3, if necessary, returns to MOA Arena next Wednesday.
